Chief still wondering how Bilic didn’t get a Prem club
MARK Jenkins knew West Bromwich Albion were on to a winner with Slaven Bilic when he realised the Croatian ought to be at a Premier League club.
The Albion chief executive, along with sporting and technical director Luke Dowling, handled the appointment of Bilic last summer as they looked for fresh leadership to oversee another crack at promotion to the Premier League.
From the moment the head coach walked through the door for his first day of training in pre-season, Jenkins admitted Albion had been fortunate to land him.
A top-flight boss historically, Jenkins has acknowledged Bilic’s qualities on a personal and professional level and revealed he made the effort to say ‘thank you’ to the board for their efforts in the summer transfer window – a gesture Jenkins concedes is unique in his experience.
“You don’t want to speak about all the other managers you have worked with but Slaven is definitely one of the most engaging and personable,” he said.
“He knows how to manage up and he knows how to manage down. He is just great around the training ground. “We managed to get him and you think, ‘that’s good’, but after two or three months you really do think, ‘how did we get him – why is he here and not at a Premier League club?’
“He is just a really good bloke. He has proved a huge hit with our fans, not only for the quality of football he has crafted from the team, but for the bearings he brings to the post.
“I can concur with that. You may recall the summer transfer dealings ended with a frantic final day, which saw us get four new players over the line.
“In all my years in the game, Slaven is the only manager I have known to take the trouble to pop down the corridor to the offices of the CEO to personally thank him for all the support and efforts taken to sign the players.
“I felt then we had a special man in the head coach’s office and I know our fans feel the same.”
Meanwhile, Albion striker Charlie Austin has been asked by the Football Association to explain offensive comments aimed at Southampton fans on social media.
The forward, who joined the Baggies from St Mary’s last summer, responded to criticism from Saints fans on Twitter with an expletive-laden rant on Saturday.
The 30-year-old had initially retweeted a comment on the dangers of social media, but responded to replies from two Southampton fans by mocking their club’s supporters in general. The tweets have since been deleted from Austin’s account.
The FA is understood to be investigating the incident and has asked Austin for his observations.
In January 2019, Austin admitted to an FA charge and was banned for two games after gesturing at Manchester City fans when substituted in Southampton’s 3-1 defeat at St Mary’s on December 30.
He made more than 80 appearances for Southampton, scoring 20 goals in all competitions, during a two-year spell at the club before signing for West Brom for a reported £4 million last August. He has scored nine goals in 28 appearances in total this season for the Baggies.